Collections

The Deerfield Academy Archives documents the life of the school by collecting material created by students, faculty, and staff during the course of their time here. Holdings reflect the unique character of Deerfield Academy and its early commitment to secondary school education. The collection includes official school records, manuscript collections of various members of the Deerfield community, publications, student activities records, photographs, and audiovisual material. The following listing is not comprehensive, and is intended to outline some general subjects in the collection. Please contact the Academy Archives for additional information about its collections.

Student Life

Student Life includes class records such as Commencement and Baccalaureate speeches and programs, Convocation material, and reunion related records. Material related to extracurricular life, such as scrapbooks and memorabilia provide a more personal view into the world of Deerfield Academy students. In addition, there are programs, photographs, and other records of performing arts, campus entertainment, and student organizations.

Academic Life

Academic life material includes general information on faculty groups, committees and individuals. Some files include personal papers such as class notes, publications, and correspondence. Other material consists of exams, student papers, records about special programs, and various departmental records.

Buildings and Grounds

Buildings and grounds files contain photographs, architectural drawings, official correspondence and other records which document the growth and change of the campus and its buildings.

Athletics

The Athletics Collection consists of records related to all sports at the school including photographs, schedules, administrative material and other records.

Manuscripts and Special Collections

The Academy Archives’ largest and most significant collection of papers is that of Frank L. Boyden, Headmaster of Deerfield Academy from 1902-1968. It contains biographical material, photographs, writings, personal and professional correspondence with hundreds of individuals and organizations, and other material. Some smaller collections include the papers of Helen Childs Boyden, wife of Frank Boyden and longtime Deerfield science teacher, the papers of legendary Deerfield hero Thomas Ashley; and various others from the Deerfield Academy community.

Publications

The Archives houses complete runs of the student newspaper, The Scroll, starting in 1927; the Deerfield Alumni Journal, starting in 1944, and the Pocumtuck yearbooks starting in 1928. The Archives also has many other student newsletters and small magazines that have been published from 1910 to the present, as well as official Academy publications such as course catalogs and view books, and the varied creative and academic writings from our own Deerfield Academy Press.

Administrative Records

Administrative records provide information about specific office functions as well as the overall operation of the Academy. These include records from the Head of School, Dean of the Faculty, Registrar, Alumni and Development, Business Office, and others.